Over the past three decades, Donald Trump’s marriages have made headlines.
In the early days of building his real estate empire, Donald married his first wife, Ivana Trump. She became an integral part of the Trump Organization, and during their relationship, the couple welcomed three children — Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric. But after over a decade together, their marriage came to an abrupt end in 1989 when Ivana learned that Donald had been having an affair with model Marla Maples.
The revelation of the cheating scandal came to light during an unplanned confrontation between the two women while they were both spending the holidays in Aspen, Colo. Ivana said she immediately knew her marriage to Donald was over and in early 1990, she filed for divorce.
Following the separation, Donald continued his relationship with Maples — despite all the media attention surrounding his family and his ongoing explosive divorce. Shortly after the split with Ivana was finalized, Maples became pregnant with Donald’s fourth child. In 1993, their daughter Tiffany was born, and just a few months later, Donald and Maples wed.
Their marriage only lasted a few years and in 1997, the couple separated. Their divorce played out in court for two years — during which Donald met his now-wife Melania Trump. The couple dated for several years, eventually getting married in 2005 and welcoming their son Barron the following year. Since then, Melania has been by Donald’s side as he began his political career, entered the White House, and faced numerous legal challenges.
Here’s a look back at all of Donald Trump’s marriages.
Ivana Trump
Donald Trump and Ivana Trump at the Costume Institute Gala on December 9, 1985. Tom Gates/Archive Photos/Getty
In 1976, Donald met Ivana, née Ivana Zelníčková. Back then, Ivana was living in Montreal while working as a model and ski instructor, having immigrated to Canada from Czechoslovakia several years earlier. Ivana ended up in New York City for a modeling job and while at dinner with a group of other models, Donald approached her. He secured the group the “best table in the place” and joined them for dinner.
“We made polite small talk, no funny stuff at all. He sensed correctly that flirting would not work with me and acted like a gentleman,” Ivana wrote in her memoir, Raising Trump.
Although Ivana was casually seeing someone in Montreal and wasn’t looking for a relationship at the time, Donald was able to impress her during her trip. He sent her 100 roses, took her out to lavish meals and when she returned home, he called her “every other day” for the next three months. He even flew to Canada to surprise her when she walked a runway show.
Ivana wrote she grew increasingly more intrigued by him and around Christmastime, Donald asked to take her on vacation. The pair headed to Aspen and had the “most romantic time” together — and on New Year’s Eve, Ivana said Donald told her, “If you don’t marry me, you’ll ruin your life.” Despite having met only a few months prior and having spent very little time together, Ivana agreed to marry him.
The couple wed three months later on April 9, 1977, at Marble Collegiate Church in New York City. The pair jetted off for a honeymoon in Mexico — and Ivana unexpectedly became pregnant with their first child. On Dec. 31, 1977, the first anniversary of the couple’s engagement, Ivana gave birth to their son Donald Jr. During their marriage, Donald and Ivana went on to welcome two more children. In 1981, their daughter Ivanka was born. Then in 1984, their younger son Eric was born.
Ivana Trump, Eric Trump, Donald Trump, and Ivanka Trump at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, 1998. Davidoff Studios/Getty
While Donald and Ivana were married, they also became business associates. Right after tying the knot, Donald appointed Ivana as the vice president of interior design at his recently acquired Commodore Hotel, which was being converted into the Grand Hyatt Hotel. She continued to help Donald build his real estate empire, assisting with the construction of the Trump Tower as well as the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, N.J. She later went on to become president of the famed Plaza Hotel.
The couple remained married for over 12 years until 1989 when Ivana learned that Donald had been having an affair with model Maples. During the family’s annual holiday trip to Aspen, Ivana ran into Maples outside of a restaurant as patrons and the rest of the family watched on.
“This young blonde woman approached me out of the blue and said ‘I’m Marla and I love your husband. Do you?’ ” Ivana wrote. “I said ‘Get lost. I love my husband.’ It was unladylike but I was in shock.”
The interaction made headlines, and while the family tried to continue as usual for the rest of their trip, Ivana said she knew their marriage was over. In March 1990, Ivana officially filed for divorce and a few months later, she resigned from the Trump Organization. Over the course of the next two years, the couple battled out in court. While Ivana had reportedly signed a nuptial agreement that put a $25 million limit on what she could take in a divorce settlement, her attorney argued that the document was “unconscionable and fraudulent” in the hopes that Ivana could fight for more due to her contributions to the Trump empire.
Donald Trump and Ivana Trump on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ on April 25, 1988. Paul Natkin/Getty
Despite their explosive divorce, Ivana said that once their legal battle was over, they settled into their roles as “companionable coparents.” They remained friendly through the years and Ivana was in attendance at Donald’s presidential inauguration in 2017. Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman even told PEOPLE that Donald “constantly” sought Ivana’s advice while he was in office.
When Ivana died on July 14, 2022, at age 73, Donald called her a “wonderful, beautiful, and amazing woman, who led a great inspirational life.”
Donald Trump and Marla Maples attend an event, circa 1992 in New York City. Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
Donald met Maples at a 1985 celebrity tennis match while he was still married to his first wife Ivana. At first the pair were just friends, but eventually, a romance blossomed that they kept secret. But by the summer of 1989, the couple were becoming more open about their relationship and Marla was often spotted in the same places as Donald, per Vanity Fair. She even moved onto his yacht, the Trump Princess.
While Maples knew that Trump was married, she later admitted that she never considered herself a “mistress” during that time.
“Every step of the way, I was praying, ‘God, please be in this. Please be in this. I do not want to be part of breaking anything up that has a chance,’ ” Maples shared on the ABC News podcast Journeys of Faith with Paula Faris.
She added, “Do I wish more than anything that we could have had this relationship after the divorce papers were signed? Absolutely. With all my heart … But it didn’t happen that way. Everything had to happen in the way that it did to bring us to where we are now.”
The affair culminated in a confrontation between Maples and Ivana when they were both in Aspen for the holidays in 1989. Donald had reportedly flown Maples to Aspen and according to Maples, Ivana had become aware of the affair. In an account that differs from the one Ivana recounted in Raising Trump, Maples said that Donald and Ivana were arguing while eating lunch and suddenly their attention turned in her direction.
“She couldn’t pronounce my name, but she was asking me if I was Moola or whatever … and she just asked if I was the one who had been loving her husband for years … I didn’t want to scream,” Maples recalled to Vanity Fair. According to the publication, onlookers did hear shouting, during which Ivana reportedly yelled, “I have a happy marriage. I’m very happy. Stay away from him! Stay away from us!”
Looking back on the incident less than a year later, Maples said “it was obvious [Ivana] wasn’t happy” and noted that during her relationship with Donald, she constantly said to him, “Stay and make it work. Don’t give up the marriage — you’ve got your kids.” Donald and Ivana split in March 1990.
Over the next year, the media extensively covered the divorce as well as Donald and Maples’ relationship. Maples spent two months hiding from photographers but couldn’t escape the headlines. She was infamously quoted on the cover of the New York Post as having said “Best Sex I Ever Had” about her relationship with Donald — which she later denied having ever said.
Donald Trump, Marla Maples, and their daughter, Tiffany, during the official opening party of the Mar-a-Lago Club on April 22, 1995. Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty
Maples and Donald continued to date on-and-off and in 1993, she became pregnant with their first child. Their daughter Tiffany was born on Oct. 13, which Maples later called the “greatest unplanned surprise of all.” Despite Donald previously saying he had no plans to get married again, the couple decided to tie the knot shortly after Tiffany’s birth.
Donald and Maples got married on Dec. 20, 1993, in an extravagant ceremony in the grand ballroom of the Plaza Hotel. Although Maples said she wanted a small wedding, the event was attended by 1,000 guests including Howard Stern, Rosie O’Donnell and O.J. Simpson. She wore a Carolina Herrera gown and a Harry Winston tiara worth $2 million.
The pair remained married for three years before ultimately separating in May 1997. Maples later explained the split to PEOPLE, saying that they “differed” on how they looked at the world and how they wanted to raise their child. She also noted that she was never entirely comfortable with the life of luxury and felt that she was “playing a role” because it was “what the job called for.”
Donald and Maples’ divorce played out in court over the next two years. Although Maples had signed a prenuptial agreement, she claimed that she was not given enough time to review the deal before she signed it, per the New York Post. After fighting the agreement in court, Maples eventually decided to walk away in order to spare herself from “any further emotional and physical turmoil.”
Donald Trump and Marla Maples attend the 1992 Soap Opera Digest Awards on January 10, 1992. Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
More than two decades after their split, a copy of the couple’s prenup was leaked, revealing since they were married less than five years, Maples received only $1 million, plus another $1 million to buy a house. She later auctioned off her engagement ring and other items to generate funds, telling PEOPLE, “I laugh when people think I walked away with a fortune.”
Despite their divorce, Donald and Maples are now on friendly terms. During an appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s Where Are They Now? in 2013, Maples said, “I still love Donald. I love Eric, Ivanka and Donnie so much.” The former couple even celebrated Easter together in April 2023.
Melania Trump
Melania Knauss and Donald Trump during a New Year’s Eve party at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida on December 31, 2002. Davidoff Studios Photography/Getty
While Donald was still in the middle of his divorce from Maples, he met model Melania, née Melanija Knavs. The pair first crossed paths in 1998 at a party in New York City where Donald asked for Melania’s number. She turned him down as he had arrived at the party with another woman — but he was soon able to win her over.
Donald and Melania began dating shortly after, although the couple did hit some bumps in the road. Early in their relationship, Melania allegedly broke up with Donald when she spotted an ex-girlfriend leaving his apartment. Then, in 2000, the New York Post alleged that they had once again gone their separate ways. Just a few weeks later, the outlet reported that they had rekindled their romance — and Melania gushed about Donald, calling him “handsome and strong.”
Donald proposed to Melania at the 2004 Met Gala. On Jan. 22, 2005, Donald and Melania officially tied the knot at Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm Beach, Fla. They said “I do” in front of numerous famous friends including Rudy Giuliani, Barbara Walters, Regis Philbin and former President Bill Clinton. The reception was held in the ballroom at Donald’s Mar-a-Lago resort and Billy Joel serenaded the crowd.
Later that year, Donald and Melania announced that they were expecting their first child. While they had planned on having children, Donald admitted he was “surprised by the speed” of how quickly it happened but was “very happy.”
On March 20, 2006, the couple welcomed their son, Barron Trump, Donald giving the little boy a name that he had always wanted to use for a child. Over the next few years, Melania kept a low profile as she tried to raise Barron outside of the public eye. She continued to maintain some independence from her husband, working on her own business ventures while simultaneously supporting his own ventures.
In 2015, Donald announced his plans to run for the president of the United States. As he hit the campaign trail, Melania often chose to stay back at home to raise Barron but said she was “100 percent” in support of her husband.
Donald Trump and Melania Trump at the Freedom Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center January 20, 2017 in Washington, D.C. Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty
In 2017, Donald was officially elected president and Melania became the first foreign-born first lady since 1829. Melania shared that she planned to be “different than any other first ladies” and had plans to help women, children and various other charities. Melania continued to live in New York City for the first few months of Donald’s presidency while Barron finished out the school year but eventually moved into the White House.
Over the course of Donald’s controversial presidency, Melania primarily stayed out of the public eye. While she appeared at events periodically and was spotted traveling with Donald, the couple chose to keep their relationship away from the spotlight.
That changed in 2018 when reports surfaced that Donald had paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 shortly before the election to keep quiet about their alleged affair. Their relationship reportedly took place in 2006, just months after Melania had given birth to Barron. Shortly after the allegations surfaced, former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal also claimed to have had a relationship with Donald that began in June 2006 and ended in April 2007. The White House repeatedly denied that Trump had affairs with the women.
Meanwhile, Melania chose not to speak out about the reports — although sources told PEOPLE that she hated that her life had become a “24/7 tornado.” She even reportedly slept in a separate bedroom from Donald, living a lifestyle independent from her husband. A longtime friend of Donald told PEOPLE that the couple spent “very little to no time together,” although the first lady’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, later denied the claim.
Melania Trump Barron Trump August 27, 2020, Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty
Since leaving the White House in early 2021, Melania has continued to remain out of the spotlight and has avoided discussion of her husband’s legal troubles. The family relocated to Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, where she is staying “below the radar” and raising Barron, who is her “first priority.”
“Melania is leading her own life, and still feels happy being at Mar-a-Lago, surrounded by people who love her and who never talk about reality, or bad things about her husband,” a source told PEOPLE in 2023, noting that Melania “remains angry” about the alleged hush money payment and does not speak about it.
As for her involvement in Donald’s current presidential campaign, Melania made a rare appearance on the campaign trail with her husband in March 2024. When asked by reporters if she would take a more active role in Donald’s 2024 presidential run, she replied, “Stay tuned.”